Every Reason Not to Run

I had every reason not to run last night.

• My running clinic peeps all told me they couldn't make it
• My friend who I made a running date with had to then stay late at work
• My head was literally pounding and pulsating with a huge headache
• It had just snowed, sleeted, rained, etc. buckets on the city, and the after wind of this storm was still pretty wicked in some spots
  
• We had dinner plans at 7:30, so the run couldn't be that long anyway
  

But, with all these excuses, I knew I just had to get out and hit the pavement. So, I reluctantly pulled on my running tights, and put a pair of wind pants over them to deter the wind, strapped on my Garmin, cued up my iPod and took off.

I didn't go anywhere magical, just the nearby neighborhood streets, thought a change of scenery would be nice from the normal lake trail runs.

The neighborhoods were filled with people home from work, shoveling drive ways, some snow blowing. The streets were surprisingly pretty clear, and have little enough traffic that I could run right down the middle of them.

I sung along to my iPod at some points (noted: future post on my favorite current workout songs and to hear some of yours!) and waved hello to kids being put to work shoveling.

I came home 25 minutes and 2.16 miles later, and I felt rejuvenated. My head still pounded with my headache, but it didn't seem to resonate as bad as earlier. My body felt great, and I felt like I had just received the best post work mind clearing possible. I don't remember the last time I ran by myself just to run, and hear my own thoughts. Sometimes, you just NEED that.

So, I had every reason not to run, but I still did. It wasn't record breaking time, it wasn't a marathon of distance, but it made all the difference in my day.

Do you ever feel that exercise is like therapy to you? That even if you dread doing it, it can become the best release?